In the production of metal strip, whether from a rolled or cast product and especially steel strip of stainless steel or titanium-alloyed steel, it has been proposed to effect a descaling of the metal strip in the strip fabrication line, i.e. in the hot-rolled or cold-rolled strip line by initially annealing the strip and then effecting a descaling or initial descaling by a stretch-bend operation. Stretch bend leveling is a leveling of the strip carried out while the strip is under tension by passing the strip between rollers which bend the strip alternately in opposite directions (see the Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel, United States Steel Co., 10th edition, 1985, pages 1096 and 1097 by way of example).
The strip is then subjected to shot blasting and/or wire brushing (see for example op. Cit. page 1095), followed by a final chemical descaling, sometimes referred to as an after-descaling so that the result is a metal strip surface, e.g. a steel strip surface which is clean and free from scale. The annealing appears to serve as a means for overcoming the cold hardening. Shot blasting and brushing of the metal strip is a particularly time-consuming procedure which utilizes apparatus elements greatly increasing the cost of the strip processing line. Both shot blasting and brushing are associated with high operating cost and maintenance costs as well.